School
Going to school is compulsory in Germany. Every child between the age of 6 and 15 has to go to school! School is free of charge as long as the kids go to a state or municipal school. The school year always starts in september and ends in july.
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The School System
Cumpolsory education (Schulpflicht) means that every child from the age of 6 to 15 has to go to school. Compulsory education lasts a total of 12 years. First, there is fulltime compulsory education for 9 years (Vollzeitschulpflicht), followed by compulsory vocational education for 3 years (Berufsschulpflicht).
There are many ways to graduate (Schulabschluss) in Bavaria (Bayern). To graduate and get a school leaving certificate (Schulabschluss) is very important for the future. With a school leaving certificat, a child can visit the next higher school or do a vocational training (Ausbildung). There are the following types of schools:
- Elementary/Primary School (Grundschule): Children usually go there for 4 years. If a child turns 6 years old before september 30th of the schoolyear, compulsory education applies and the child has to go to primary school. The kids go to the school closest to where they are living. (“Sprengelpflicht”) After 4th grade, schoolchildren transfer to one of the following schools depending on their grades and skills :
- Middle/Secondary School (Mittelschule): Up to 9th or 10th grade. You can get a Middle School Diploma (Mittelschulabschluss) at Middle School (Mittelschule). From the 7th grade on, Pupils with good grades can go to an intermediate school class (M-branch) in Middle School.
- Secondary School (Realschule): up to the 10th grade. Here, children can complete a secondary school certificate (Mittlere Reife / General secondary leaving school certificate).
- High School / Grammar School (Gymnasium) : Up to the 13th grade. (Abitur, the child can study at all colleges and universities)
- Special Schools (Förderschulen): For children that have special needs, need help with learning, have learning difficulties and cannot be adequately supported in general schools. Special School prepares the students for the Middle School Diploma (Mittelschulabschluss).
- After the 10th grade in Middle School or Secondary School, there are different ways to get an Abitur.
- What paths does the Bavarian school system provide?
Schools in and around Bamberg
Here you will find all schools in and around Bamberg and important information about the schools:
Distance Learning/Education (Fernunterricht)
If you have completed vocational training or the relevant professional experience, you can obtain a vocational baccalaureate diploma (Fachabitur) here:
Drausnickstraße 1c
91052 Erlangen
0931 / 4 01 68 63
post@vibos.de
https://www.vibos.de/
You will receive the help you will need to prepare for the secondary school certificate (Haupt- und Realschulabschluss):
Don-Bosco Jugendwerk Bamberg
Promenadeplatz 5
96047 Bamberg
0951 / 50 99 70 – 24
bayern@flex-fernschule.de
https://www.flex-fernschule.de/flex-bayern/
Consultation
There are many questions when children start school or when they change schools after the 4th grade. You will find information on what is changing and what you must or can do for your child as a parent.
Your child will be in first grade. What is important?
The city of Bamberg has a lot of important information and contacts for kids that will soon go to school. (Also in Albanian, Arabic, English, French, Ukrainian, Romanian, Russian, Turkish)
Which school does your child go to after 4th grade?
The city of Bamberg explains what types of schools there are from the 5th grade, what grades your child needs for the schools and how the registration (Anmeldung) at the school works. Here you will also find all secondary schools in the city and district of Bamberg.
Questions and problems at the school - what to do?
With your question, you can go directly to the school but you can also go to the school board (Schulamt) or the school counseling center (Schulberatungsstelle). Topics are, for example, special talents (besondere Begabungen), professional and study orientation (Berufs- und Studienorientierung), learning difficulties (Lernschwierigkeiten), bullying (Mobbing), fears (Ängste) and much more. You can contact counseling staff/teachers and school psychologists.
- Do you need help translating letters from school?
- Do you want to be accompanied by someone who speaks your language at school appointments?
- Do you need information about the school system in your language?
The school can make an appointment with someone who speaks your language. There is support for these languages: Arabic, French, Kurdish, Romanian, Russian, Turkish and Ukranian.
The Project “Parents – Uderstand – School”(“Eltern – Verstehen – Schule”) can help you.
Bahnhofsplatz 1a
95028 Hof
09281 / 1 40 03 60
mail@sb-ofr.de
https://www.km.bayern.de/ministerium/institutionen/schulberatung/oberfranken/ansprechpartner.html
Theuerstadt 1
96050 Bamberg
0951 / 2 97 46 – 10, -12, -13 (Stadt)
0951 / 2 97 46 – 31, -32, -33 (Landkreis)
https://www.schulamt-bamberg.de/
Here you will find a list of school psychologists for primary and secondary school in the city and district of Bamberg:
You can find all other school boards (Schulamt) in Oberfranken here:
If you have questions or inquiries about education (Bildung), the city of Bamberg can help you:
Maximiliansplatz 3
96047 Bamberg
0951 / 87 – 14 35
bildungsbuero@stadt.bamberg.de
https://www.stadt.bamberg.de/bildungsbuero
Ludwigstraße 23
96052 Bamberg
0951/85-715
Financial Help
There is support for families with little money by the city of Bamberg. If you receive money from the job center (Jobcenter), housing benefit (Wohngeld) or child allowance (Kinderzuschlag), you can get financial help:
- Money for school materials
For copies, books, pencils, and so on, every child gets 100€ in August and 50€ in February.
- Costs absorption for Lunch
The costs for lunch in school or daycare will be covered except for a personal contribution of 1€ per day. - School trips
Travel Expenses, food and entry fee at school trips will be covered.
- Learning support
With a confirmation by the school, costs for learning support can be covered if the child is in danger of failing and not reaching the next class.
- Social and cultural participation
You can get at least €15 a month from the city if your child for example goes to a sports club or music school.
Please fill in the Request for Education and Participation (Antrag auf Bildung und Teilhabe) and send it to the social affairs office of the city of Bamberg (Amt für soziale Angelegenheiten der Stadt Bamberg) to get financial support.
Amt für soziale Angelegenheiten
Team 50I3 Bildung und Teilhabe
Assistenz, Rundfunkbeitrag
Promenadestraße 2a
96047 Bambetg
0951 / 87-1520
https://www.stadt.bamberg.de/bildungundteilhabe
Additional offers for school children
Children need to be good at reading and writing to have good chances and a good future. This can be very hard for children with another native language. Because of that, there are additional offers for reading an tutoring. The children can practice here as well.
Tutoring, private lessons and reading for children
Schützenstraße 2a
96052 Bamberg
0951 / 91 41 89 35
bildung@freundstattfremd.de
https://freundstattfremd.de/
Saturday from 10:00 to 12:00 Tutoring at “Blaue Frieda”. Please register in advance!
c/o Landratsamt Bamberg, Bildungsbüro
Ludwigstraße 23, 96052 Bamberg
0951 / 85 – 715
mentor@lra-ba.bayern.de
https://bildungsregion-bamberg.de/mentor/
Children between 6 and 16 years old from the district of Bamberg receive help in learning how to read.
Theatergassen 7
96047 Bamberg
0951 / 91 70 09 – 36
lesefreunde@awo-bamberg.de
https://awo-bamberg.de/migration/bamberger-lesefreunde/
The reading-friends (Lesefreunde) come to the family and read with the little children up to primary/elementary schoolchildren. This is how children learn that books are fun. This is very important for learning how to speak and read.
Homework assistance and supervision
Not all children can do their homework on their own. And not all parents can help their children with their homework. Children can get help here:
Community Education – Gemeinschaftsunterkunft Geisfelder Straße
0951 / 91 41 89 35
bildung@freundstattfremd.de
https://freundstattfremd.de/
Moday to Friday Afternoon, only for the kids living in the accomondation (Unterkunft).
Katzheimerstraße 3
96050 Bamberg
0951 / 2 08 36 88
Theresa Banzhaf, E-Mail: familientreff-loewenzahn@dwbf.de
https://www.dwbf.de/familientreff-loewenzahn/
Tuesday to Thursday from 14:00 to 16:00
Please register in advance!
Hausaufgabenbetreuungsstelle Gereuth
BasKIDhall
Kornstraße 20
96050 Bamberg
0951 / 30 18 86 75
https://stadtteilmanagement-bamberg.de/gereuth-hochgericht/#angebote
Open homework hour daily from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., except during the holidays
Hausaufgabenbetreuungsstelle Gereuth
BasKIDhall
Kornstraße 20
96050 Bamberg
0951 / 30 18 86 75
https://stadtteilmanagement-bamberg.de/gereuth-hochgericht/#angebote
Everyday from 12:00 to 16:00 (except for school holidays); Registration in the beginning of every school year (grade 1 to 9), at “Hausi” students get assisted with their homework and an they can take part in an afternoon program.
